Lists are always big sellers in outdoor media, both on the Web and in print. And I suppose that’s true with other topics, too, as I scroll and fight endlessly through pop-ups online to discover what were the Top-32 biggest screw-ups in The Force Awakens or whatever. Click-bait, they call it. Since magazines are limited in space, these lists consist of shorter blurbs of info. You just can’t yammer on and on and on and on and on like here on the Web. The editor of Florida Game & Fish magazine asked me to put together a list about five hunting and fishing options in the state folks can enjoy during the winter months. It was recently published – “Florida’s Winter Options” – and is on newsstands now.

One aspect of the assignment was to switch up hunting and fishing and try to spread it across the state. Hunting is always the easy part. I went with Panhandle deer since they are rutting and public land is accessible. Nature Coast duck hunting because I find it very interesting and challenging. And Central Florida hog hunting as winter hog hunting is one of my favorite activities.

That left two spots – I figured I’d split the difference between fresh and saltwater. Okeechobee bass and Sebastian Inlet flounder. I chose Okeechobee bass because I’d worked on another bass article recently and has salient information handy. (I probably should’ve focused on specks, in retrospect.) I chose flounder in Sebastian for its uniqueness. Sheepshead fishing is big around Florida during the winter. Sailfishing was another option I floated about. In the end, Sebastian is one of my favorite areas in the state.

Some might argue, and I wouldn’t blame them. I’m given artistic license to choose, and these were certainly reasonable. If you’d like to read the article, it’s in the December/January 2018 edition of Florida Game & Fish magazine. “Florida’s Winter Options.” Check it out and tell me what you think.

About This Blog

Ian Nance is a lifelong resident of Central Florida with a passion for hunting and just about anything related. Associate Member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association. Check back weekly for hunting stories, news, tips, and wild game recipes. Feel free to leave comments or e-mail topics you would like to see addressed here. Contact at inance880@aol.com or follow on Twitter @good_hunt